Dragons and Demons

gregorymaness
Feb 28, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Dec 22, 2024

Dragonbane. Is this the game that I was looking for to bring me back to the gaming table? Perhaps. Dragonbane is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) by Free League Publishing that is is the latest version of the popular Swedish TTRPG, Drakar och Demoner or Dragons and Demons, translated into English.

I have mentioned the game in a previous blog post, "Playing the Hero or Playing the Villain" (https://gregorymaness.wixsite.com/website/post/playing-the-hero-or-playing-the-villain). I had expected my initial return to the gaming table would be playing another Free League Publishing game, Alien: The Roleplaying Game (https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/). But while I certainly intend to play that game in the not-too-distant future (I am a HUGE fan of the Alien franchise), I have settled on Dragonbane for my first TTRPG in decades. I am well on my way to reading the rules for the game and I am excited by the prospect of some "mirth and mayhem roleplaying." It looks like a game that I would be comfortable, even now as someone far removed from the TTRPG scene, running as the gamemaster or GM and I could certainly see myself enjoying the opportunity to play as a player character or PC in the game.

I have picked up a copy of the Dragonbane Core Set, the Dragonbane GM Screen, the Dragonbane Rulebook (Collector's Edition), the Dragonbane Bestiary (Collector's Edition), and the Dragonbane Monsters Standee Set. One could play the game with just the materials from the Dragonbane Core Set. So yeah, I am pretty much set for game materials. Now I just need to supply some imagination and some enthusiasm.

Below are some links regarding the game. The first link is to the game's page on the Free League Publishing website. From there you can visit the online store and buy any and all Free League Publishing games including Dragonbane. After that are links to some videos on the publisher's YouTube page and a number of reviews and blog articles on the Dragonbane game and books.

As I indicated above, I am excited. I haven't played a TTRPG in decades and I am looking forward to returning to the gaming table. Perhaps I will be disappointed, but I don't think so. I enjoyed playing the games when I was much younger. While I am older now with more personal responsibilities, I still enjoy a good story. Getting together with family and friends and/or new friends to tell a unique, original story sounds like an excellent way to spend a few hours.

Free League Publishing -- Dragonbane